The 'Clemson Fit': Jeff Scott on the type of player Clemson's looking for

Clemson is coming off of its eighth consecutive top 15 recruiting class after the Early Signing Period. 

The consistency in recruiting not only good prospects but also the right prospects for the program has played a significant role in the Tigers’ success. 

It’s another small class of just 15 signees (so far) for the Tigers, and they are ranked No. 8 according to 247Sports. Clemson had 14 signees in the 2017 class, ranking No. 16.  

Of the other teams in the top 25 recruiting classes over the last two years, 38 of the 50 programs signed at least 20 prospects. 

Dabo Swinney has valued quality over the quantity the last two recruiting seasons. His staff has remarkably stayed up to curve with the other powerhouses of college football that have dominated the recruiting scene.

While Clemson is celebrating an eighth straight top 15 recruiting class, Alabama has had the No. 1 ranked class every year since 2011.

Over that span, the Tide signed a total of 181 prospects. Clemson signed 154 and had an average class ranking of 13.86 on 247Sports.

The outlier of this comparison was the 2017 class where Alabama doubled Clemson’s class 29 to 14. If you strictly look at the numbers, Clemson should not be in the position it’s in to take on Alabama for a chance to surpass them as college football's team of the decade. 

How do Swinney and his staff do it? 

When recruiting, the staff focuses on the type of person they are going after and what value they will bring to Clemson. We have already highlighted what a person like K.J. Henry will mean to the Clemson community and how he will fit in nicely. He’s not the only one.

Player development has been the main reason the Tigers have created a lasting impression on the rest of the country. 

Winning has certainly helped, too.

But the biggest recruiters that Swinney has in his arsenal are not members of his staff. His assets are his players. 

“If your players are happy and genuinely love their experience here at Clemson. If they really enjoy coming to the football office every day and going to practice and going to class, they’re going to tell those recruits that,” co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott told Clemson Sports Talk. 

The coaching staff relies on current players to play middleman between the recruits and the staff. Players report to the coaches what they think about the recruits and if they'll fit into the program.

Player input is a huge part of the recruiting process, and Swinney trusts his player’s judgments.

One question will always come up in the meeting between the current players and a coach: “Is this young man a ‘Clemson fit?’” 

“As coaches, you try to do as much research as you can to find out about their character and what they are made of,” Scott said. “They can fool you sometimes, but when they get around your players and have a chance to spend some time with them, I love it when they come back and say, ‘hey coach, this guy is a perfect fit here at Clemson. He’ll fit right in day one.’”

Clemson’s players know what the staff is looking for and take it upon themselves to do their best to sell Clemson when thy host a recruit and his family. Imagine visiting as a top defensive lineman prospect, and Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence are right there to greet you. 

Or a top-rated quarterback on an official visit and you spend most of your time with Deshaun Watson and Kelly Bryant. That’s what it feels like Clemson has done with this 2018 class. 

Developing players into great men, great players, and great recruiters during their time at Clemson will keep the Tigers around for a while.

“There is no doubt that they are a great asset for us in the recruiting process,” Scott added about his players. “They are one of the reasons we have been able to recruit at a high level.”